Paul's layup lifts Clippers past Thunder

Associated Press :
April 11, 2012
: Updated: April 12, 2012 12:09am

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Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, left, dunks in front of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, April 11, 2012.

Paul scored 31 points, including the game-winning layup with 8.8 seconds left, and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-98 on Wednesday night to stay in position for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

“For me to come back and be able to play in front of family and friends is always fun,” said Griffin, who was born and raised in Oklahoma City and played college ball at Oklahoma. He had 16 points and 12 rebounds.

“But most importantly we're looking to get wins, and this is a tough place to play, and I'm proud of the way my teammates played, and we dug out a win.”

The Clippers needed the win to hang on to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. Fifth-place Memphis, which beat L.A. on Monday, remains a half-game behind the Clippers after beating Phoenix 104-93.

Kevin Durant missed a 3-pointer that could have won it, hitting the back rim on a shot over Clippers center DeAndre Jordan from the left wing. Durant led Oklahoma City with 22 points, and Russell Westbrook scored 20 on just 3-of-14 shooting. The West-leading Thunder have lost four of six games.

Grizzlies 104, Suns 93: At Memphis, Tenn., Rudy Gay scored a season-high 32 points, and the Grizzlies won their fourth straight with a victory over Phoenix.

Memphis outscored the Suns 17-6 after Phoenix tied the game at 87 with 6:27 left. Dante Cunningham had six of his 10 points during the stretch run.

Zach Randolph had 17 points and nine rebounds for Memphis, which won for the ninth time in the last 11 games. O.J. Mayo finished with 15 points, and Mike Conley had 12 points and seven assists.

Knicks 111, Bucks 107: J.R. Smith hit a 3-pointer for the lead with 1:04 left, and New York held on to beat host Milwaukee in a game that could turn out to be critical to both teams' playoff hopes.

Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and 10 rebounds while Tyson Chandler added 19 points for the Knicks, who took a two-game lead on Milwaukee for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Smith had 14 points off the bench.

The Bucks had won two of three games with the Knicks before Wednesday, and a win would have given them a head-to-head tiebreaker edge.

Paul Millsap added 21 points, and Al Jefferson had 15 for the Jazz, who held the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference standings coming into the game.

The Jazz shot 51 percent (40 of 78) and led by as many as 18, taking advantage of Houston's poor shooting. The Rockets started the night in sixth in the West and had a four-game winning streak snapped.

Nuggets 113, Timberwolves 107: Ty Lawson scored 24 points, including four free throws in the final 17.6 seconds, to help Denver hold on at home against a Minnesota squad that was missing Kevin Love after the All-Star forward went out with a mild concussion in the first quarter.

Arron Afflalo added 21 points for the Nuggets, who have won two straight to remain in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race.

Pacers 104, Cavaliers 98 (OT): Danny Granger scored 23 points, five in overtime, and former Spurs guard George Hill made a dagger 3-pointer in the extra session, lifting Indiana at Cleveland.

The Pacers, clinging to the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, outscored the Cavaliers 10-4 in the extra session.